Pandora's Box

Chapter 29

Alexander’s Point of View

It’s been two days since I last saw Jen, come out of her room and that’s when sis assisted her inside their room. I can rest well, if she eats well, or her well-being itself because sis always informs me.

Then yesterday we had our sibling moment, and what happened she caught me what I feel towards Jen.

Am I that obvious to others?

-Flashback-

“Yow sis,” I called to her, and she looked at me slowly away from her book that she is reading. If I am guessing, this is one of the detective series that she currently read. That was a good read because I already finished that book.

“What’s up?” she asked me. I looked at her with my bashful eyes. “Is there something- oh, you want to check on your love?” she asked me and my eyes widened and I looked at her straight in the eye. How did she know?

“H- how?” I asked her nervously.

“You are too obvious bro, so do not ask me how... it pains me because that friend of yours is as dense as a cloud,” she remarked. Well, there’s that but I don’t complain that until now she doesn’t notice my feelings towards her.

“Uhhmm...”

“So, yeah I am correct that you like her, don’t worry I root you for her, she has the brains, and we are getting along well,” she said. That’s good to know because inside my family there will be no conflicts. Oh wait, she is the only family I have.

Our parents died... due to an accident. Our other family members are out of reach, we do not care nonetheless as long as we have each other by our side we feel that we can accomplish anything.

I am about to walk away when she ‘pssted’ me. I stopped and turned around to look at her and gave my censorious eyes towards her.

“Don’t just go away, we have much to talk about,” she told me and I wonder what was it. Since I am this good little brother to her, I obeyed her command and I walk towards her and sat beside her. She closed the book that she is reading after putting the bookmark on the page, so later on she won’t get lost if she wants to read the book again. She put it on the mini table in front of us. She leaned on the back of the sofa while she faces me.

“What is it?” I asked her.

“About the encounter,” and she whistled afterward.

Ohh, the encounter with the bloody ma- I mean crimson coded specimen, the ones that they say that possess an intellect that matches us human beings. Then I remember that there are three of them. I have so many questions that day but was postponed because of Jen until I forgot about it. They must be very dangerous.

I can see because that Reaper or so what they call it almost obliterated a battalion with just him alone.

“The Reaper?” I asked her and she nodded at me.

“What did you see?” she asked me.

“m******e,” I told her honestly. “Fear, and it almost got k-,“ I hesitated to finish that word because of how she will feel. But since she is my sister, I know that she already knows what I am about to say.

“Then I almost became like her, don’t get me wrong why did you risk for your life there?” she said and I know that she is pertaining to Jen who lost her sister, and I agree on that because if not for Jen, I don’t know if I am in heaven or hell right now.

“Jen saved me,” I avoided the question. I am not thinking straight that time, I stood up and put on a clown show that time. There is a part of me that I wanted to impress Jen, but when it came to the real thing. It was an entirely different thing.

I am so shocked that my whole body became petrified. I looked at my hand, shaking, the feeling was still fresh in my mind.

That time I was certain that the scythe will meet my neck anytime. What happened? I wanted to ask them that. But there are things that I cannot say in front of her. My sister may show no expression to others but I am certain that deep inside her mind is in shambles.

She is overthinking too much, so I don’t want to add up on her problem.

I am not boasting or anything but my sister was one of the most important people in this place, that’s why I got inside here easily with my friends. If you have connections then there is no problem.

“I am thankful that you became in love with such a superhero,” she jokingly said to me and I can’t ignore the bitterness in her voice. But I know she is thankful to Jen for saving the only little brother that she has in this life.

“Thank her not me,” I told her.

“I am not thanking you,” she replied to me.

I became speechless, I don’t know how to get back at her.

“You want coffee?” I asked her because this conversation will go at nothing if this continues.

“Yes please,” and then she smiled at me sweetly, then she grabbed her book again and turned her attention to the pages that contains every word of details about the story. “Just be careful,” she added and she sounded serious.

I smiled and I walked my way towards the kitchen.

-End of Flashback-

I sat here on the sofa; I think it’s two in the morning. People here are soundly asleep.

I leaned my back, and take a sip on my coffee to keep me wide awake. I don’t feel like sleeping right now to be honest because I am too scared to close my eyes.

Every time I see darkness, I can see that exact moment reenacting itself in front of me.

I released a sigh.

Honestly, I feel safe inside here despite the tremors that happen up above. Meaning that the conflict is not over yet.

This shows how dangerous the containment breaches are. I am sure that there are so many people that already sacrificed their lives for the whole world. While I here, cannot do anything just sip on a coffee.

If only I am brave enough to face death itself. Heck, I almost peed my pants that time.

Just the other day, we heard a loud bang, must be something big that has fallen.

I sighed again and rested my head on the back of the sofa. I face the ceiling and embraced the silent surrounding area. This just happens to me sometimes. I need to enjoy it right?

This peace calms my mind.

I want to calm my mind.

It’s too messy.

It’s too scrambled.

I slowly close my eye-

Wait what was that?

I heard a click on the ceiling.

But it did not happen again. I turned all around to see everything but I saw nothing. I am the only one here who is wide awake.

I must be hearing things. I looked at my coffee. Maybe it’s his fault that I am seeing things. I laughed at myself. Geez, am I going crazy over coffee?

I guess that is enough coffee for me now.

I stood up and grabbed the cup of my coffee that is halfway through and I walked towards the sink.

When I reached the sink, I opened the faucet and let the water go into the drain. I poured the coffee on it along with the water so it can get washed along to the drain.

I put the cup on the side- no, I must wash the cup, it is just only one cup. I feel so lazy dud. But since this is a responsibility for all of us, I grabbed the cup again and washed it. After cleaning it, I put it on the dryer. While waiting for the cup to dry up. I looked at the faucet again, still pouring water out from the faucet.

I am wasting water. Though I know that, I just stare at it, until my mind told me to wash my face. I put my face near the sink. Maybe a refreshment will wake me up just as good as the coffee. I used both of my hands to scoop up the water and splash it on my face. Whoo, that is cold.

But one more time. I used both of my hands again as a scoop, filling it with water, and with enough water, I splashed it on my face again. Well, that is something refreshing indeed. I turned off the faucet and just in time the cup was dry and put it where it should be.

I stretched my hand. I guess time to rest. I have enough of my me time.

Then I became wide awake again when I heard the clickity tack sound above me. This time I heard it, so I am not questioning myself right now. It’s not the coffee. There is something out there. Maybe some rocks falling?

Sis told me that there are sensors outside, that if a terra former comes around the defense system to keep us safe will be activated.

But to me, it sounds more like an insect that crawls on the top.

I trust my sister, so I ignored it. It’s not that it can get inside here in one piece. There are three rooms here. The giant one where the other four girls share the room, and the room where the lonely girl which I don’t see most of the time decided to give it to us three, and the other two men shared one room beside us.

It was spacious enough to contain us three.

I went straight to our room.

I must be sleepy, when I feel like that I am wide awake.

Geez.

“Hey,” I heard a woman’s voice behind me. Honestly, that spook me.

I turned around and spoke of the devil the other woman, which we did not see that often. Her hair is messy, and she has eye bugs sign that she doesn’t sleep.

I smiled awkwardly towards her.

“You heard something?” she asked me.